| Description | Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis) is an aggressive, rhizomatous ground cover for the semi-shaded moist areas. Has fragrant white flowers. |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | (kon-val-AIR-ia) |
| Plant Type | Perennials Hardy |
| Hardiness Zone | 3-8 |
| Sunlight | shade to semi-shade |
| Moisture | tolerate average moisture conditions but prefers moist, survives in drier conditions but is much slower growing and tends to brown out quicker |
| Soil & Site | rich, moist |
| Flowers | white, fragrant, waxy, small pendant bells found on an arching stems, April and May |
| Fruit | orange/red seed pod |
| Dimensions | a thick mat, 9 inches |
| Maintenance | In the late summer the foliage will die to the ground. The hotter and drier the site the quicker this will happen. |
| Propagation | division |
| Misc Facts | All parts of this plant are considered to be poisonous. It contains several active cardiac glycosides that are considered similar to digitalis in action. The berries which may be attractive to small children can cause paralysis and respiratory distress. |
| Author's Notes | I have rejuvenated gardens where the aggressive spreading of this plant is one of the problems. Short of spraying with a herbicide, it is almost impossible to remove all of the plant. |
| Notes & Reference | #149-Perennial Groundcovers for Easier Gardening (Daniel J. Foley), #68-Groundcovers for the Midwest (Voight, Hamilton, Giles) |
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